Summer League #10 Curragh Wood Tuesday July 15th Results and Report

Curragh Wood was the destination for tenth and final
competitive event in the CorkO Summer League. The desire to improve on present
league positions and meet the required attendance quota of six events to
complete the league and earn the prestigious summer league t-shirt helped
entice a crowd of 106 competitors to the event.

We were delighted once
again to see so many families in attendance and it was lovely to
welcome some folks taking in our event on their
holidays in Cork. It was also great to see another member from our
neighbouring
club Waterford Orienteers (WATO) in action at the event. For the most
part the evening remained dry and the
conditions underfoot in the wood were ideal for orienteering. The only
obstacle
standing in the way of our competitors was the epic climb, a staggering
275m on
the Long course and regrettably there was no error in this calculation!

Several competitors
were observed analysing the league
tables prior to their run to determine what exactly was required of them
to overtake
their orienteering nemesis in the league results! The course planner set
out
very demanding courses so any improvement in league standings weren’t
going to
come easy. Furthermore, the Corbett family were back for their holidays
were they spent some time cheering on the Irish Orienteering Team who
were competing at the 2014 World
Orienteering Championships (WOC) in Italy.

Having obtained the best possible
result in the league to date there was no way for Cillin Corbett to improve his
points total so he opted for a leisurely stroll around the wood which permitted
all those challenging for the top spots a better chance at improving their
standing. Brian Corbett on the other hand was hoping that his time spent
watching elite orienteers in action at WOC would inspire him on his run and
allow him to edge his way into the top five in the results table.

Thankfully
the start was located a good distance from the car park which
eliminated the long slow drag up the hill from the beginning of both
courses. But due to the nature of the landscape in Curragh Wood it would
be difficult to eradicate much of the remaining climb from the courses.
Both physical and mental stamina was needed to complete the arduous
Long course at Tuesday’s event. With 18 controls to punch there was lots
of navigation required and even when the body began to feel the strain
of the steep terrain the brain needed to stay engaged on the task at
hand to avoid any costly mistakes.

There was plenty of route
choice on many of the legs and due to the persistent fine weather many
of the forest tracks were exceptionally dry which meant there was also
lots of roots to be negotiated. Some agile foot work was necessary to
avoid tripping on some of these paths. Competitors were forced to visit
the control site 214 twice on the Long course first for control 4 and
also for control 14. Alas, it would seem that some competitors didn’t
pay enough attention to their map on their first visit to this control
and left in the direction on control 15 rather than 5. Control 7 on the
Long course took competitors to the ring fort at the highest point in
the wood. The vibrant green flora on the forest floor in the vicinity of
controls 12 and 13 made these difficult to spot from a far.

Anyone
who previewed the whole course early on in their run knew what was in
store for them on the home stretch. For those that were tackling one leg
at a time and anticipating a relatively easy run to the finish the
planner had a few surprises in store for them on the latter section of
the course. Having punched control 14 there was a nice run to control 15
which was followed by a steep descent to control 16. This was then
following by a ferocious scrambling climb to 17 and 18 before
competitors got to savour the downhill run to the finish. With prizes
and bragging right at stake on the night who handled the pressure and
the orienteering challenge best in Curragh Wood?

On the Long course John Chandler continues his winning ways
and attained back to back Summer League event wins. He completed the gruelling
5.2km course in a time of 37 minutes and 41 seconds. This wins also gives him a
hat-trick of event wins in the 2014 league and will probably secure him the
runners-up spot in the overall league. Jonathan Lucey was very determined to
hold on to his fourth place position in the league and he had a very steady run
which left him runner-up on the night. He punched all 18 controls in a time of
39:19. Once again mere seconds separated our second and third place finishers and
Donal Murphy took the final spot on the rostrum when he finished in a time of 39:53.

There was fierce competition in the Ladies section on the
Long course this week. CorkO ex-pat Toni O’Donovan was back home in Cork for a
week’s holidays and she set a blistering pace on the long course and took the
event win in the process. She completed the course in a time of just 42 minutes
and 16 seconds. This very impressive run meant that she finished fifth in the overall
long course results. Any ladies looking to improve on their present league
standing were further disadvantaged by the return of Niamh Corbett to
competitive action in the summer league. Following an orienteering vacation at
WOC with her family she had a solid run in Curragh Wood and finished in a time
of 49:45 which left her runner-up on the night. Our Summer League Long Course
Lady Champion Sharon Lucey had to be content with third place this week when
she finished the course in a time of 52:17. A nasty slide on her run
left Sharon a little more cautious on the latter section of the course. However,
Sharon’s consistent form throughout the league ensured she achieved a podium finish
at every event she attended and makes her a very worthy champion.

On the Short course Gerry & Maeve Brett saved their best
performance for the last competitive event. Having completed the course in 22
minutes and 21 seconds they achieved their first Summer League Short course
event win. Jamie Latimer continued to display his consistent orienteering
skills and claimed the runners-up spot on the night. He finished in a time of 23:19.
The final podium spot went to our regular Buggy-O adventurers Conor and Aisling
O’Mahony. With words of encouragement from its passenger and power from it pusher their all terrain
buggy whizzed around the Short course in a time of 24:36.

Well done to all who competed. Full individual results and
splits time are available here.

A few photos from the event have been added to the Gallery page of our website.

This week we extend a huge thanks to Conrad Daly for
accepting the challenge and workload involved in planning a Summer League
event. He really set out some testing courses. Thanks also to Mary Curran for
controlling the event and Andrew Turner for his assistance with registration.
We were also very grateful to Gerald Duffy, Liam O’Brien and Shane Doyle for
their assistance with control collection on what turned into a damp and misty
evening.

The league results are being checked and verified and the
full results will be known in time for our 2014 summer league finale which will
take place next Tuesday evening in Farran Forest Park. The park is
located on the southern shore of Inniscarra lake and
provides panoramic views of the tranquil waters and surrounding
countryside. Furthermore, you will be delighted to hear this area in
relatively flat in comparison to Curragh Wood, further forest trivia and
directions are available here.

Now that the pressure
for improving your league position is over, next week we’ve planned a fun two-person
relay event. This is intended to be a very social event so we would encourage
you all to participate. Following all the relay action we’ve planned a delicious
BBQ for all competitors in the National Rowing Centre
in Farran. Then while you are munching your way through your burger we’ll present the prizes to all our league winners.